Part 2.
Once you become familiar with leg alignment and “Elegant Free Long Leg Extensions, Part 1, you can begin adding part 2.
Having completed part 1. https://jennycolebourne.com/elegant-free-long-leg-extensions/ and You Tube video https://youtu.be/zlZeZitqV7A
Without changing the position of the knee transfer the hands to the back of the thigh.
Place one palm on top of the other for good support.
Continue to surrender the weight to see upper back to gravity.
Begin to extend the leg, be very aware of the leg alignment. https://jennycolebourne.com/?s=leg+alignment
The knee remains in the position that it has come to, in part 1. At a certain point, just before the knee is to straighten, you will probably find there’s a lot of resistance. You will probably find that the tendons around the knee feel very tight. I want you to avoid lowering the knee in order to straighten the leg.
AVOID TIGHTENING THE KNEE IN ORDER TO STRAIGHTEN THE LEG
I want you to avoid tightening the knee in order to straighten the leg, at no point does the knee tighten. It’s a joint and it’s designed for movement, not support, so keep the joint relaxed. Instead look deep into, with quality attention,100% focus, gentle focus, no pushing, focus that is imbued with a lot of love and respect for your body and notice exactly where you have the resistance, or tightness and let go of it.
USE YOUR OUT BREATH TO SOFTEN RESISTANCE
Use your out breath to soften wherever that resistance is. The process will be a personal. Different people with different bodies, life experiences and psychology, will have different areas of resistance.
THE KNEE REMAINS IN THE SAME POSITION
There is only one guideline, for all of us, the knee will not move. The knee stays in the position that it’s arrived to. When we get to the point of feeling the resistance then we have to make a study of releasing it. How do I release it? How do I let go?
LENGTHENING THE SHIN BONE
One thing that may help you is to think of the shinbone. Lengthen it. Remember that when bones are alive, they have a degree of flexibility, so think, imagination has power, the shinbone long. It will help think that the toes extend beyond where you see them physically end. Imagine that space has a magnetism as powerful as that of gravity and imagine the toes are being drawn out into space.
You will probably be aware of the new areas of resistance. Your body, your own body with wisdom, will guide you.
A NEW SENSATION OF EXTENDING THE LEG
I promise that you will have a completely different experience of straightening the leg, a completely different sensation, you will feel it coming from a completely different space in the body.
And although the first times, that you do this exploration, it may seem to be slow process.
THE GIFT OF TIME
Give yourself a gift of time. Give yourself a gift of relaxation. Nothing ever good ever came out of forcing.
When you’ve experienced this way of extending the leg 2 or 3 times, then it will become an almost automatic process. A new habit. It’ll be a lot easier a lot quicker.
LEG EXTENSIONS IN A STANDING POSITION OR AGAINST RESISTANCE
And if you want to bring this experience to a standing position or against resistance, one of the secrets is to really, really feel your roots, to really feel gravity, through the supporting leg. It’s the leg that’s a supporting leg that is the strong leg and the more that you feel that ground and the rooting the stronger you will feel and the easier the other leg will float up.
Always be vigilant about the correct leg alignment.
Enjoy these You Tube videos https://youtu.be/OoxMt3xTwyU Devloppé on the Reformer and https://youtu.be/mCwGl3jBrFU Openings to Second on the Reformer
A warm thank you to both Themis and Sophia for the photos.
JENNY COLEBOURNE (c)
